Northeast - When the Lightning strikes

Heed the warnings, that sucked.:o

Got struck today?

Close as I wanna come.

Lightning scares the heck out of me, I don't go out if the weather report says there is a chance of storms.

I was out there too. Thought I could stay out of its path by running further south down the backside. Then the storm changed path and headed south. Finally ran around and dropped a hook inside p-town just in time. Had a short spell of nasty wind and rain causing a number of boats to drag anchor including one beast of a mega yacht. Well.....it was a nice run out anyway.

I was out there too. Thought I could stay out of its path by running further south down the backside. Then the storm changed path and headed south. Finally ran around and dropped a hook inside p-town just in time. Had a short spell of nasty wind and rain causing a number of boats to drag anchor including one beast of a mega yacht. Well.....it was a nice run out anyway.
I was just leavin and saw you headed e. Thought you would have followed me as you were closely watching us go w.

Glad you're still here.

After being hit twice (the house) I don't ever want to be on a boat dealing with it. On land was very $$$$. I think the boat would be more like very DEAD.

While lightning strikes are not funny any situation, I can't help but laugh a bit seeing the Maritime Insurance Ad at the bottom of this page LOL.

one hell of a storm in oak bluffs. some of the yahoo's in CC's were screwed

I was out there too. Thought I could stay out of its path by running further south down the backside. Then the storm changed path and headed south. Finally ran around and dropped a hook inside p-town just in time. Had a short spell of nasty wind and rain causing a number of boats to drag anchor including one beast of a mega yacht. Well.....it was a nice run out anyway.

Did the same,all the way to Chatham :o. Was off the golf ball and heading back towards PTown didn`t look good at all. Had one rod in the t top and it was buzzing and felt the static when I took it down. Thats when we decided to run south towards clear skies. Felt like Schleprock with the clouds following us. After a while we were only 18 miles from Chatham so I said what the heck only it got hairy there too and we headed back. Got lucky and missed the real severe stuff and it was beautiful back at the SE corner but no love. Didn`t help that we missed slack low at noon because of the weather :mad:

Pissed me off that all weather reports that I checked up until I left the house at 5 am said chance of late day Tstorms with 10% chance during the day :roll.

Jerry

Today was an interesting day, thankfully it didn't last long. A pretty good cell came through New Bedford area while I was fishing outside. During one of the bolts my Simrad NSE8 changed background colors to a green highlight, thought that was interesting. Posting this picture, looks neat to me. I've seen like everyone hundreds of storms but something about the 3D shape to this was neat.

Yesterday I heard "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", hadn't heard it in months and got me thinking about bad weather. That line always sticks in my head, something like... Does anyone know where the love of god goes when the waves turn minutes to hours...

I worked with a Chief Engineer who was on the lakes when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, they were anchored in a sheltered area.

I was just leavin and saw you headed e. Thought you would have followed me as you were closely watching us go w.

Wasn't a bad ride back across. If it got ugly.....I'd of been on your azz idigitu.

Jerimiah, I checked the weather radar on my phone when I was at the GB. Worked another 6 miles south before I realized it had changed course. I considered running to Chatham too but was sure I'd beat it to P-town.

Storm or not that a GREAT picture!!

yup..was at the parking lot in CCBay storm looked to be heading east south east..so i waited it out for only it to bang a 180 and steam right over sandwich..

nasty

glad everyone is safe

I was in Tashmoo when I saw it coming. I was rafted up with a buddy of mine. We decided to try to run to Vineyard Haven, get on shore and wait it out. I started up but his boat wouldn't start. Now what? Wait it out....

The rain was cold but not that bad. But as I watched the lightning strike the mast of a sail boat 75 yards away, I was not a happy camper. The mast seemed to explode. A burning smoke came off the entire length. All I can think of was that it was burning the salt off the mast?

75 yards is a mile and 75 yards too close. Not fun.

Mike

We avoided the storm, but at one point all our hair started to stand on end. We had nowhere to hide other than in our cabin. Would have loved a mast to be nearby.

Been through allot of storms, never like this... when the electrical pull is that strong it can make you feel pretty small!

I just got settled with the family at Coatue on Nantucket and started to hear the rumbles. When the sky got dark we hauled ass. The amazing thing is that we were the only ones who left and just made it to the truck so everyone else must have been soaked.

Today was an interesting day, thankfully it didn't last long. A pretty good cell came through New Bedford area while I was fishing outside. During one of the bolts my Simrad NSE8 changed background colors to a green highlight, thought that was interesting. Posting this picture, looks neat to me. I've seen like everyone hundreds of storms but something about the 3D shape to this was neat.

Yesterday I heard "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", hadn't heard it in months and got me thinking about bad weather. That line always sticks in my head, something like... Does anyone know where the love of god goes when the waves turn minutes to hours...

I worked with a Chief Engineer who was on the lakes when the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, they were anchored in a sheltered area.


Shawn, awesome photo!!!

I will tell you what, this was the first storm I had my family out in. It takes on a little different meaning when your 2 1/2 year old is there. Pretty wild, she loved it, also reeled in her first fish on a Zebco kids rod, poor little scup took about 4 minutes to get up from 20ft. She loved it, Dad and Mom learned that if you reel it up to just under the boat, then let her reel, its much quicker and the scup like it better! LOL

I have some video from the storm too, trying to edit it, never done it, some weird lighting bolts, some perfect three finger ones too, havent seen that in a while.

Was out on the water today, same rain, thunder and some wind. Pretty weird, traveled the world on the high sea's, but today was the first time I actually was at anchor with no noise to hear the rain slowly approach the boat. It was neat, almost sounded like the swells crashing on Gay Head at night bass fishing, getting louder and louder as it got closer. Hell, its why we take to the sea in the first place!

See if I can get the Fluke gods to give up those elusive 17.5" fish a little better tomorrow.

We got caught coming in from south of the vineyard. Saw it coming and tried to beat it in....storm won. Couldn't see the bow of the boat at one point. We got lucky. A couple of very close lightning strikes. Pretty awesome light show as it approached though.

We were on Crab Ledge. One hit so close the sounder went apeshit.

I was fishing just west of Gay Head, saw some lightning strikes in the distance and packed it in. I was able to make it to Menemsha and 5 min later, this bad boy rolled through. Its the first time I've seen one on the water like this, it was incredible!

I felt bad for the sailboats out there.. what are you supposed to do in this case?

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i416/tcalef/Storm_072311/2011-07-23_12-51-46_385.jpghttp://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i416/tcalef/Storm_072311/2011-07-23_12-38-53_73.jpg

I initially tucked in with those "sailboats" outside of Menemsha harbor, then thought better of it and moved further south.
Amazing skies;

^^^Good question? What do you do? I've never gotten stuck out in a storm. Obviously it seems like the first thing to do is run...

What happens when you get struck?

I'm not a weather expert, but as an aviator, thunderstorms are something I have studied in great detail. You have to understand them in order to be safe from them. Some of these storms can top 50-60 thousand feet high, and there's not any plane (ok, maybe a F-15 or something) that can out-climb a building cell.

One time, we were comming in to land and there was a storm maybe 10 miles out. It was mid-day but almost DARK. There was this weird glow around the right wingtip. I thaught it was the nav-lights. It was actually Saint Elmo's Fire. Its from the static electricity in the air. I suppose a mast or a tall antenna could have the same affect. In an airplane, the fear isn't really the lightning. Most airplanes hit by it don't even know it. Its the windshear. It can tear you apart.

That's a good point about what to do if you are caught out in a boat. I know you are safe in your car, becuse of the metal frame (NOT the tires). I suppose the only thing you could do is hunker down in the cabin and stay away from any metal objects.

How do the tires protect you when water is gushing down from the metal body/chassis to the ground?

Cars are "safe" from the TIRES insulating the metal vehicle from the ground. Has nothing to do with the metal frame. The metal frame is a bad thing. BUT, I quoted the word "safe" because your are really not exactly "safe in a car. People get hit by lightning in cars all the time. It's just that you are only a bit safer in a car than if you were just standing in the street.

The tires keep the car un-grounded electrically which helps prevent a lightning hit.

That's how I see it anyway. I've argued this point and similar issues I have with "Lightning grounding gear" for years. I personally think lightning rods can cause more problems by attracting lightning, than they do good by dispersing the lightning and/or electrical charges that hit it.

But I'm no expert on any of this!! As one very well known engineer once told me years ago: "your guess is pretty much as good as mine". :grin:

Cars are "safe" from the TIRES insulating the metal vehicle from the ground. Has nothing to do with the metal frame. The metal frame is a bad thing. BUT, I quoted the word "safe" because your are really not exactly "safe in a car. People get hit by lightning in cars all the time. It's just that you are only a bit safer in a car than if you were just standing in the street.

The tires keep the car un-grounded electrically which helps prevent a lightning hit.

That's how I see it anyway. I've argued this point and similar issues I have with "Lightning grounding gear" for years. I personally think lightning rods can cause more problems by attracting lightning, than they do good by dispersing the lightning and/or electrical charges that hit it.

But I'm no expert on any of this!! As one very well known engineer once told me years ago: "your guess is pretty much as good as mine". :grin:

Do you really think the 6" of tire makes a difference to a lightning strike that jumps from the clouds to the ground? Even if it did the lightning can still jump the 8" of air between the car and the ground!

Cars are "safe" from the TIRES insulating the metal vehicle from the ground. Has nothing to do with the metal frame. The metal frame is a bad thing. BUT, I quoted the word "safe" because your are really not exactly "safe in a car. People get hit by lightning in cars all the time. It's just that you are only a bit safer in a car than if you were just standing in the street.

The tires keep the car un-grounded electrically which helps prevent a lightning hit.

That's how I see it anyway. I've argued this point and similar issues I have with "Lightning grounding gear" for years. I personally think lightning rods can cause more problems by attracting lightning, than they do good by dispersing the lightning and/or electrical charges that hit it.

But I'm no expert on any of this!! As one very well known engineer once told me years ago: "your guess is pretty much as good as mine". :grin:

The tries are meaningless when dealing with the size of charge from a lightening bolt. Insulators have to sized relative to the size of the event. a latex glove will not help you if you put your hand in front of an arc of 110v. The tires on a car are no match for stopping a lightning bolt. it's an urban myth. What saves you is the enclosing metal frame. It acts as a Faraday Cage. Just like the guy at the lightning exhibit at the Museum of Science.


Do Rubber Car Tires Protect Me From Lightning?
http://www.weatherimagery.com/blog/rubber-tires-protect-lightning/

Faraday Cage
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

Top Gear Example In A Car
http://www.topgear.com/uk/videos/car-lightning